One of the problems the Dodgers leadership has to solve is how to fill the void left by Max Muncy and Clayton Kershaw, as chances are high that Max Muncy will miss the NL WC Game. During the regular season, the Dodgers won 106 games but had to solve several problems.

In May, they lost Dustin May after having to undergo Tommy John's surgery. They also could no longer count on Edwin Ríos because of a right shoulder injury. Cody Bellinger and Tony Gonsolin missed two months due to injuries.

Corey Seager was out for almost three months due to a broken right arm while Clayton Kershaw was also absent for three months due to a left elbow injury. Outfielder player AJ Pollock did not play for some time because the right tendon injury recurred.

After battling injuries for a while, the Dodgers coach no longer had to think so much about injuries as a large number of players recovered. Some would say that the recovery of the players came at the right time because everything started to get better in the last part of the regular season. After months of rotation among the players, the coach could begin to devise a new game plan.

One of the remaining problems the coach has to deal with is finding a replacement for Max Muncy. Players like Luke Raley and Zach McKinstry come into consideration. On the other hand, although Clayton Kershaw is one of the more important players, his absence from the game against the Cardinals may not be crucial. The coach has Mitch White or Andre Jackson at his disposal.